Hospital negligence can happen in any healthcare facility. When appropriate standards of care aren't met, patient care and safety suffer. As a result, patients may experience complications, extended recovery times, or other adverse outcomes that could have been prevented with proper medical attention.
When Kansas City families place their trust in healthcare facilities, they expect their loved ones to receive appropriate medical care and attention. The Kansas City medical malpractice lawyers at Fowler Pickert Eisenmenger Norfleet can help determine if substandard care resulted in preventable harm and guide you through the process of protecting your family’s legal rights. Below, we examine key warning signs of hospital negligence and explain what documentation you may need to protect your rights.
Common Signs of Hospital Negligence
Inadequate staffing is a common culprit leading to hospital negligence. When there aren’t enough employees to handle the needs of the patients, care can become compromised
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Overwhelmed hospital staff. When nurses are responsible for too many patients, this can lead to delayed responses to call buttons, missed vital sign checks, or medication errors, overlooked patient hygiene needs, and increased risk of infection.
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Communication problems. Poor communication between departments can result in misread test results or improper sharing of important patient information. When communication breaks down, this can result in missed diagnoses, delayed treatments, or inappropriate medical interventions.
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Deviating from protocol. Failure to follow established safety protocols puts patients at risk. Mistakes that can be made when a protocol is not followed include improper patient identification, insufficient infection control measures, and mistakes in surgical site marking. When hospitals cut corners on safety procedures, serious harm can result.
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Improper equipment maintenance. Equipment maintenance issues create dangerous situations. Malfunctioning monitors may not alert staff to declining vital signs, and broken safety equipment, like bed rails, increases fall risks. Regular maintenance and testing of medical devices are essential for patient safety.
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Poor security. Insufficient security measures can enable unauthorized access to restricted areas or patient rooms. Proper visitor screening and controlled access points help prevent patient harm from unauthorized individuals.
Critical Documentation to Gather
If you feel that you may have been exposed to hospital negligence, it’s important to keep documentation that provides evidence of what took place while you were at the hospital.
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Medical records. Your patient records provide the foundation for establishing negligence, so ask for complete copies of all hospital records, including nursing notes, medication administration records, and lab test results. Look for gaps in documentation or inconsistencies that may indicate care problems.
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Visual records. Photographs or video recordings can provide powerful evidence in a hospital negligence case. Document unsanitary conditions, visible injuries, or equipment issues. Include the date and a time stamp whenever possible.
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Witness statements. Gather witness statements from family members, visitors, or other patients to help establish patterns of negligence. Record specific dates, times, and details concerning incidents they observed.
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Timeline. Keep a detailed timeline of events, noting when problems occur and when hospital staff and administrators are notified. Include the names of employees or caregivers you contacted and how they responded to your concerns.
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Financial impact. Document any financial impacts you experienced due to the hospital’s actions, including extended hospital stays, additional medical care needed, lost wages, and other expenses you incurred due to the hospital’s negligent actions.
How a Kansas City Medical Malpractice Lawyer Can Help
If you suspect that you or a loved one were harmed due to hospital negligence, it’s in your family’s best interest to contact a medical malpractice lawyer promptly. Hospital negligence cases are complex and require thorough investigation. An experienced medical practice attorney, such as the skilled professionals on the Fowler Pickert Eisenmenger Norfleet team, will be able to evaluate the situation and help determine if you have grounds for legal action. We'll review your documentation and explain your legal options for seeking accountability and compensation.
Missouri law limits the time you can take legal action after experiencing hospital negligence, so it’s important to seek counsel right away. When you choose our law firm to represent you in a hospital negligence case, you can count on your lawyer to work with medical experts to analyze records and identify deviations from accepted standards of care. Our Kansas City medical malpractice lawyers know how to build a strong case that demonstrates the connection between negligent hospital practices and patient harm to help our clients seek fair compensation for damages suffered.
